


A Little Birdy Told Me

by lizzycat40



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Gen, MariBat, Team Miraculous, Tim is supposed to be the super smart Robin sooo, also I love the idea of a Plagg and Trixx team up, also Mari is gonna have a hard time sometimes, and reconnecting with peopl, and this fic was actually mostly born of that, but only in context of this story really, deals with grief, don't expect quick updates tbh, first chapter is the prologue I posted on tumblr, here have my Timinette WonderSuper AU, justice league - Freeform, like prologue is aaannnnggssstttt, mlb x dc, no salt, well a little justice league salt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:20:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzycat40/pseuds/lizzycat40
Summary: Following the defeat of Hawkmoth, and the death of her partner, Marinette finds herself pulled from her grief by an unlikely group of women.Did you know cats and foxes will eat bats?
Relationships: Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Pamela Isley/Harleen Quinzel, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 158
Kudos: 1022





	1. The World is Silent

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, here it is, the Timinette thing I said I'd probably write on my tumblr. I've reworked the prologue a bit, expanded on a couple things; fixed some structuring, and puncuation. little things lol

**The Ladyblog goes live with a video.**

**Rena Rouge sits in front of what has to be a go pro, given the video quality; the girl is battered, bruises marring her skin, and tears are running down her face, mixing with the blood leaking from her lip. She takes a shuddering breath.**

**“My name is Rena Rouge, but you guys know me better as Alya** **Césaire. I… I don’t know why I’m telling you this now. If the code is… correct, and I did this right, then this is broadcasting internationally, despite the media blackout; and I’ll never be Rena again after this.” She sighed, her breath catching, “I just… I wanted the world to finally hear us.” Rena looked back at the camera, her eyes narrowed in rage. “For four years, Paris has been under siege by Hawkmoth, a supervillain wielding a magical broach, and his accomplice, Mayura. We’ve tried contacting the Justice League for assistance, only to be met with scorn. We-” Rena’s voice broke, and she grit her teeth, “We needed the help. Today, Paris burns.” She stands, her legs shaky, and she grabs the camera, turning it to the window of her room.**

**And Paris is on fire.**

**The Eiffel Tower is half collapsed in on itself in the distance, and the Seine has flooded. Screams are faintly picked up by the microphone, and then Rena sniffles, and the camera comes back to her.**

**“Ladybug knows who Hawkmoth is. This marks the final battle, and I-” Her voice cracks again, and her tears come fresher, more quickly, “I just want my parents to know I love them; my sisters too. I don’t know if we’ll make it out of this.” Her eyes fall, “Chat didn’t. He-he died… Hawkmoth stabbed him in broad daylight. We’re just a bunch of kids, why do we have to stop a madman?!” She’s screaming by the end of it, her chest heaving, and finally, she takes a shuddering breath, and wipes her eyes. Rena’s stare hits the camera hard.**

**“My name is Rena Rouge, and we have a job to do. Ladybug told me this video was ok; after today, none of us will be active. And if the League is watching…” Her eyes narrowed, “This is what you called a joke.”**

**The camera turns again, and with a few clicks, it’s secured around Rena’s chest. The heroine opens the window in front of her, leaping out into the dark Parisian morning. She runs across the rooftops fluidly, until she comes upon a group.**

**Ladybug, Hornet, Carapace; Ryuuko, Viperion, Squeak; King Monkey, Pegasus, Bunnix; even Tora.**

**But no Chat Noir.**

**Ladybug nods at her as Rena lands; their leader is the most beat up out of all of them, her suit torn in places, leaking blood from her various cuts. Yet she stands with her back straight, despite the quiver Rena notices in her best friend’s lips. The camera is staring at Ladybug, but Rena looks at Carapace; her boyfriend hasn’t stopped crying, face set in an anguished scowl.**

**Alya doesn’t know how they’ll ever come back from this; the team. Her** **_friends._ **

**Ladybug breathes.**

**“This is it.” She says it quietly, but they all hear her; the world hears her.**

**Ladybug smiles, but it’s startlingly morbid, “You have all fought by my side consistently since we were 13 years old; and I-” Her voice breaks, tears swelling in her eyes, as her hand clutches at something next to her; someone who is no longer there. “And I am** **_honored_ ** **to have known all of you, both in mask, and out. Hawkmoth has- he’s-” Ladybug grits her teeth, baring her teeth, and biting her lip until she bleeds; her voice comes out choked, “He has taken someone very dear from us; from all of us. Chat-** **_Adrien_ ** **\- he was my best friend. I loved him, just like we all did.” Marinette’s breath caught, “And he’s gone. But we owe it to him to** **_finish_ ** **this. To bring that man to justice.” Her fists clenched at her side, and Rena watched as Ryuuko held Hornet close to her, the two girls crying; Rena made sure the camera saw too.**

**Let the world witness what they suffered.**

**Ladybug sighed, drawing her attention once more.**

**“And we will. This** **_will_ ** **end today, one way or another. I…” Pausing, Ladybug’s tears came back with a vengeance, “I cannot promise we’ll survive, you guys. I am…** **_so so sorry.”_ **

**Ladybug turns her back, “And if you’re still with me now, then follow.” And then she leapt from the building, her yo-yo swinging out, and propelling her forward.**

**Towards the Agreste house.**

**One by one, Rena watched the heroes follow her, until she was left alone on the roof. She watched her teammates, her friends go ahead of her, and finally Alya sighed.**

**“I’ll follow you anywhere, Bug.”**

**And then she was off, catching up with her team.**

**The fight was messy.**

**Knowing where to find Gabriel was easy of course, and the world watched, horrified, as this man commanded dominion over the citizens’ free will; demanded they fight the heroes. By the time Ladybug and her team reached Hawkmoth’s lair, the sun had risen on Paris, staining everything red.**

**They’d cornered him in the basement, next to his wife’s coffin.**

**And Ladybug didn’t hold back.**

**“How could you!” She screamed, grief coating her words as she pulled the yo-yo tighter around Hawkmoth, “He was your** **_son!_ ** **And you** **_killed him_ ** **!”**

**“I didn’t** **_know!_ ** **” He roared back, and Rena was fast, but Ladybug was always faster. The girl’s fist lashed out, colliding with the man’s cheek so hard he fell to the side; Mayura yelped where Tora had her restrained.**

**Hawkmoth’s miraculous fell off, and Gabriel Agreste was laid bare before the world. Ladybug’s chest heaved as she took deep breaths, and then she bent down, and collected the broach; cradling it delicately. Like it was reverent.**

**“You have murdered my master, and your son, Gabriel. What do you have to say for yourself?” The man on the floor sobbed.**

**“I just wanted my wife back…” And Ladybug’s heart ached for the broken family at her feet.**

**But it didn’t excuse what he’d done.**

**Rena watched Ladybug turn to Mayura next, watched her walk over, and remove the peacock pin; Nathalie was left in her place, and Marinette growled.**

**“You’ll both be turned into the authorities.”**

**She stepped away, holding the red and black speckled object in her hands; Ladybug sighed, and mournfully, she whispered,**

**“Miraculous Ladybug.”**

**The swarm of ladybugs surrounded all of Paris, undoing the damage, the death, and Rena raced to the surface to witness it. Citizens milled about, many shocked and upset.**

**But there was one person who would not be back.**

**For when someone dies wearing their miraculous, their soul is claimed by it, and they become a part of it for the next holder.**

**Adrien Agreste would never wake.**

**Rena watched from the roof as the police showed up, and Ladybug escorted Gabriel out of the house along with Nathalie. It was over.**

**They’d done it.**

**They’d won.**

**“Alya?”**

**Rena turned, and the camera was looking at Carapace as he walked up to her, and then Alya was crying.**

**“Nino, it’s** **_over_ ** **. We did it!” She sobbed, her hands coming up to cover her eyes, “But why doesn’t it feel like we won?” Nino pulled her into a tight hug, the camera pressed against the green of his suit.**

**“We’re all going to miss him Alya. There’s… There’s no replacing him.” Alya shook her head, her cries increasing.**

**“He didn’t deserve that, Nino! He- he-!” Nino held her tighter, burying his head in her shoulder as his own tears fell.**

**“I know babe, I-I know…”**

**That was how the others found them, each hero joining them until finally Ladybug did as well. She only nodded, and they all left together, heading for the warehouse district.**

**Once they were secure, Ladybug turned to them, her expression pained.**

**“It’s time, guys.”**

**Rena watched as, one by one, each of them removed their Miraculous.**

**Kim and Max were first, King Monkey and Pegasus falling away; next was Tora, Juleka taking her place. Squeak goes next, and Rose is giving Mullo a teary goodbye. Bunnix sighs, and then Alix is standing there, rubbing at her eyes. Luka hands his over with no preamble, giving Ladybug a small smile, and bidding Sass farewell. Ryuuko and Hornet both go next, and Kagami and Chloe hold hands while they give Ladybug their Miraculous; Pollen hugs her Chosen one more time before fading away. Nino goes next, handing Marinette the bracelet with a sad smile.**

**“Is… Is his ring safe?” Ladybug bites her lip as her eyes well with tears, and she only nods. Nino nods and moves aside, and now it’s only Ladybug and Rena, the others watching.**

**Rena smiles.**

**“You know I love you right, Nette?” And Ladybug’s eyes go wide behind her mask, and then she’s crying again. Alya reaches up, and removes the necklace, the magic falling away from her. The camera continues to roll. She hands over the jewelry, giving Trixx one last hug as they go.**

**But Alya is crying, staring at the girl who has been her hero and best friend for the last four years; the girl who has literally carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.**

**Ladybug finally nods, a pained look on her face.**

**“I know, Alya. I love you too.”**

**And then Ladybug is turning, a portal opening up in front of her.**

**“I’ll… see you guys sometime.”**

**And then the portal closes and Ladybug -** **_Marinette_ ** **\- is gone; and Alya’s knees hit the concrete of the warehouse as her body shakes with the force of her cries. She wails with the force of a seventeen year old girl who has seen one friend die, and the other break into pieces at her feet.**

**The stream ends as the battery on Alya’s go pro dies, and the world echoes with the cries of a broken child.**

**It is painfully silent otherwise.**

**Bruce Wayne clutches the remains of a shattered glass in his hand as the broadcast ends. The blood on his hands has long since dried.**

**He needs to make a call.**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

_Batman is the first of the Big Three to arrive in the Watchtower. He’s flanked by Red Hood and Nightwing, and the Hall is in chaos, people shouting over each other, with others on the phone to their various countries about the fallout of the video._

_The room falls silent as Bruce storms in. He stands at the head of the table, and he places his hands down._

_“You have exactly one minute to tell me how this got past us.”_

_A murmur breaks out among the rest of the heroes, and Bruce notices when Flash shoves Green Lantern forward._

_“Hell no, Hal, **you’re** telling him.” Hal glares at Barry for a second, before he realizes all eyes are on him; including the Bat’s. Hal scratches the back of his head sheepishly, looking properly ashamed. _

_“Uh, that’s um, my bad, spooky.” Bruce’s eyes narrowed._

_“Explain, Lantern.” Hal grimaced._

_“A couple years ago, the tower got a message from a kid in spandex; I thought it was a joke. Then I got a couple more, each with a different kid, and some with the same. I mistook it for some elaborate prank, and told them to cut it out.”_

_It is quiet enough that you could hear the drop of a pin._

_Which is why the table splintering in half causes the room to jump._

_Diana’s sword is stuck in the metal, and she is snarling at Lantern. She leaves the sword stuck, going over the table, and then she is on him, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against the wall._

_“Diana!”_

_“That is my_ **_daughter_ ** _you ignored, you bastard!” She roars, “She needed me and I didn’t know because_ **_you_ ** _thought it was some joke?! I should kill you where you stand!”_

_“Wonder Woman!”_

_Diana is shoved away from Green Lantern, and Superman is there, separating them, and staring at her with an unreadable expression._

_“Diana.”_

_She turns and looks at Bruce, her chest heaving with the force of her rage. He stares back._

_“You said she’s your daughter.” Diana nods once, not willing to say more in front of the entire league._

_“She has been raised by a dear friend in Paris. I… I haven’t seen her for some time.” And Bruce leaves it at that, seeing the shame in her eyes._

_There’s a sigh, and they look over to see Green Arrow slump into a chair as he runs a hand through his hair._

_“The French government confirmed the media blackout in Paris; but we_ **_failed_ ** _, guys.” His voice is somber, “A bunch of kids had to take down a magical terrorist on their own after they_ **_begged_ ** _us for help. And we_ **_ignored_ ** _them.” Oliver’s voice catches, and he thinks about his ward, Roy. Many of the league have kids of their own, wards and apprentices._

_“One of those kids_ **_died_ ** _, damnit!” Red Hood hissed, his hands clenched at his side, “Don’t forget that! That’s blood on the League’s hands!” Batman holds up his hand, cutting off the building rant, and he looks at each individual person he can see._

_“This will_ **_not_ ** _happen again. Everything is to thoroughly checked. We live in a world where aliens and magic, and all manner of things are possible; there is no such thing as being too cautious.” Bruce’s eyes narrowed, “Do I make myself clear?”_

_The hall rang with a chorus of agreement, and Bruce turned his eyes back to Green Lantern. Hal froze under the force of his gaze, and gulped._

_“You and I are going to have_ **_words_ ** _, Hal.” Hal just nods, averting his eyes, and Bruce regards the room once again._

_“We’ll need to prepare a statement; and an apology.” Batman notices Diana on her phone, her face growing paler by the second, until she finally puts it away._

_“What is it, Diana?” She shakes her head._

_“She didn’t go home. Sabine hasn’t seen her, and she doesn’t know she’s Ladybug, oh gods…” Diana runs her hands through her hair, and Bruce watches her closely._

_“What do you mean?” Diana glared at him, but Bruce simply waited._

_“It means we don’t know where Ladybug is; I don’t know where my daughter is.”_

_That could be a problem._

  
  


**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

  
  
  


Marinette’s knees hit the grass as soon as she’s through the portal, and her transformation falls finally. She doesn’t see where Tikki goes, just continues clutching her bag to her chest; it has everything she needs. The Miracle Box, her new phone, and the credit card Master Fu had secured for her, along with her new identity. 

But Marinette’s eyes were unseeing as she crouched in the dirt. 

All she could do was remember. 

**Mayura had a sentimonster on her, pressed into the ground, and she couldn’t move; her powers were _useless_ if she couldn’t get the leverage she needed! The rest of the team had been batted aside like they were bugs, and Chat was barely holding his own against Hawkmoth. **

**And then-**

Marinette choked, and then she was wailing, fat tears rolling down her face as she finally mourned her partner; her friend. She screamed to the sky, cursing everything she could think of. It felt like a hole had opened up in her soul, grief pouring into every part of her. 

**The blade of Hawkmoth’s cane pierced him through the heart, and to make it stick, Hawkmoth withdrew and delivered another blow to Chat’s lung; the sick slide of the blade made her heart stop.**

**And then she was _screaming_ , Chat’s body falling to the ground limply. He stared at her, one arm reaching for her, and Ladybug didn’t know what to do, she couldn’t ** **_help-!_ **

**And then his eyes dulled, and his transformation finally fell with his last breath.**

**Marinette’s anguish compounded on itself as she stared at Adrien, and she** **_broke._ **

There were hands on her shoulders, and someone was talking to her, but all Marinette could do was shake her head, unable to see through her tears. 

She had _failed._

**Mayura’s sentimonster fell away in shock, a pained sound leaving the woman; Hawkmoth stared at the boy, appalled, and Marinette growled when the man took a hesitant step forward.**

**“A-Adrien…?”**

**She moved, putting herself between Hawkmoth, and the boy she had loved; she bared her teeth in a snarl.**

**“Stay away from him!” She screamed, “This is all** **_your_ ** **fault!”**

But it _wasn’t,_ it was _hers_ too. 

She’d gotten captured, hadn’t been able to back up the team; been too afraid to reveal her meta powers even then. 

It was _her fault Adrien had died._

A sharp pain across her cheek pulled her out, and Marinette stared in shock up at the woman in front of her. 

“Oh, thank god, you had me scared there for a second, kitten.” 

Marinette’s eyes welled with fresh tears at the sight of the leather clad, cat themed heroine currently pulling her in for a hug. The woman sighed, petting her hair. 

“Sweet girl, what’s happened?” 

Marinette shakes her head, but another voice chimes in. 

“Marinette, we need to go.” 

The girl looks over in shock, surprised to see Tikki hovering there in plain sight of a stranger. The woman pauses, staring at the creature. 

“T-Tikki?” Tikki turns her big blue eyes to the grown woman. 

“You are a hero, yes?” The woman slowly nods. 

“Kind of. I’m Catwoman.” Tikki nods. 

“Yes, I know of your activity in Gotham. Marinette needs a safe place to stay while she processes what she’s just gone through. It’s been…” Tikki pauses, her face contorting in sorrow, “A traumatic last 24 hours.” 

Selina’s eyes grow wide as the girl in her arms sobs harder. 

And, well, she can’t just leave the girl. Not only would she regret it, Harley and Ivy would kick her ass on principle alone. So Selina sighed, and hooked her arms under the girl’s legs, and picked her up. It was a testament to how worn out the girl was that she didn’t even flinch. 

And she was off, heading back to the penthouse she shared with the other Sirens. 

~

Tim paused on his patrol as he noticed Catwoman down on the street, cradling a girl to her chest. Batman had taken Hood and Nightwing with him to the Watchtower to find out about that mysterious broadcast, leaving him and Damian patrolling with Cass for the night. He tapped his comm. 

“Note, Selina’s picked up some girl; she seems upset.” Alfred chimed back a moment later. 

“Noted, Red Robin, thank you.” 

Tim followed at a distance, watching Selina enter the building containing the Siren’s home and base of operations. Given that they were less inclined to criminal activities while operating as the Sirens, Bats had allowed the women to keep the penthouse; it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he and Selina were consistently seeing each other still. Nope, not at all. 

Tim rolled his eyes as he scaled the skyscraper next to the apartment building, reaching the point where he could peer into the Siren’s apartment; Ivy and Harley were home, lounging in the living room. Harley was clipping the nails on her hyenas, while Ivy read. At least until Selina burst through the door. 

Tim watched the women freak out for a bit, until Selina handed the girl over to Harley who escorted her out of his sight; likely to the spare room they kept. He could see Selina and Ivy talking, and Selina shrugged, throwing her hands up; and Tim decided that was all he needed to know. Just the Sirens helping another lost girl; nothing new. 

He left before he could see Ivy show Selina the livestream from earlier. 

Or he might’ve seen how the women looked towards the young girl with recognition. 

As it was, Tim was only worried about the possibility of another Siren in the future. 

~

Harley guided Marinette gently into the spare room, letting the girl sit on the bed; Harley sat on the floor in front of her, and crossed her legs. 

“Cats out there thinks you’re broken, little missy.” Marinette hiccupped, and nodded. Harley clicked her tongue, not having expected the agreement. 

“Broken doesn’t mean useless girly. Do you know who I am?” Marinette took a deep breath, and nodded again. 

“Y-you’re Dr. Harleen Quinzel.” Harley arches a brow, a bit impressed. 

“Bingo, little flower. And if you know that, then you know what I’m trained in.” Harley’s smile softened, and she reached up, taking one of Marinette’s hands in hers. “I can help, kiddo; you are looking at a certified therapist. And it’s free of charge since you’re so cute, _princess._ ” 

Marinette is giggling at the nickname, and then she is sobbing, her whole body shaking with the force of her grief. 

And Harley swears she’s going to help this girl get better. 

No matter how long it takes. 

  
  
  


  
  



	2. Vixen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a year and a half, and Marinette needs to run. 
> 
> Plagg and Trixx are all too willing to oblige her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I love the idea of Plagg and Trixx being partners in crime, and this fic was somewhat born of that. Also, I'm playing fast and loose with Miraculous canon; I'm going with Plagg as the base transformation, with Trixx as the secondary. And the perk I'm giving this, is that when partnered with Destruction or Creation, the secondary Miraculous can use its ability without a countdown penalty; For example, Mari can craft as many illusions as she likes, but if she uses Cataclysm, then her countdown timer begins. 
> 
> Also, Marinette's acting skills have improved over the years.

A year and a half passes like someone hit fast forward on her life, and Marinette is reluctant to say that she’s beginning to feel whole again. The first anniversary of Hawkmoth’s defeat- 

_ Chat’s  _ **_death!_ ** Her mind whispers; Aunt Harley has taught her these feelings will lessen over time. 

-had come and gone, and Marinette had stayed in Gotham. She missed the funeral, but she had gone to pay her respects; on her own terms. She still heard from her team; her friends. And though she never replied properly, they continued to message her, even now. She stares out her window over the city of Gotham; she still lives with the Sirens, grown close to these women who took her in, and helped her begin healing. 

Marinette knows her mother is still searching for her. 

It was part of the reason she and Tikki had agreed to put away the earrings for now. 

She cannot have Wonder Woman dropping in unannounced, after all. 

The only person she’s spoken with about the situation has been her maman; Sabine would always be her mother, she had raised her after all. Sabine had kept her being Ladybug from her mother, though Diana had still found it; considering the Amazonian princess had never come around, Marinette was curious as to  _ how _ she had found out. 

Marinette watched the sun dip below the horizon, and she could hear Harley cheering in the other room as the Sirens finalized their plans for that night’s heist. An up and coming jeweler had been policing the neighborhood around his shop, threatening people, and using violence against the locals; and well… 

The Sirens did love sticking it to people in power. 

And Marinette had found herself far more comfortable with that than she thought she’d be.

Her sessions with Harley were still regular, though the frequency had finally lowered. When she’d been taken in by the Sirens, Harley had come and talked to her a little bit every day; not necessarily about what had happened in Paris, but she would talk to her about everything. Harley told Marinette about things she’d done that she regretted, about how much she loved Pamela, and adored Selina; and eventually, Marinette opened up. 

She told her about being Ladybug, about how it had felt to be ignored by the League; watching her best friend and the boy she loved, die. And about why she came to Gotham.

Master Fu had told her a long time ago that once Hawkmoth was defeated, he would be leaving to go to America; to Gotham. 

_ “There is a large amount of misfortune over that city; my next goal will be to cleanse it.”  _

And then he’d died, and Marinette had found herself as the next Guardian at the age of 14. She’d made Chloe, Kagami, Alya, Nino, and Luka permanent Miraculous holders to combat against Hawkmoth’s growing power; but she’d never properly mourned her master until she reached the city of crime. She had told Sabine where she’d go, rushed home to her the second she could after Adrien fell; she’d lingered long enough to make sure his… his body had been recovered properly. 

Sabine had simply nodded, angry at the League - at Diana - for ignoring them. With her mother’s blessing, Marinette had hid her backpack with everything she needed, and set out to retrieve her team. And they had ended it. 

Marinette sighed as she stared out the window, listening to her aunties, and Selina - who was more like another mom if she was honest - get ready for their night. And Marinette made a choice. 

“Plagg, Trixx?” The Kwami’s around her room all paused what they were doing, the two gods in question zipping over to her. Plagg grinned at her. 

“Yeah, bug?” She looked at them, a small smile on her own face. Tikki watched on in the background, a concerned frown on her face.

“How do you two feel about causing a little bit of mayhem for Gotham’s Dark Knight?” Trixx and Plagg shared a look before matching mischevious grins came across their faces. 

“Sounds like a plan, kit!” 

With a nod, Marinette moved away from the windows, and into the large closet of what had become her room. Popping a panel out of the wall, she pulled the Miracle Box out, and opened the top. The Ring, and the Necklace sat there, and for a moment, Marinette hesitated. 

“Marinette?” 

She turned, seeing Tikki hovering there; the little red kwami offered her a smile. 

“I know you miss them. Adrien wouldn’t mind you using the ring, and Alya would be glad to hear you were thinking of her too.” She valiantly fought off her tears, and nodded. 

Tikki always knew what she was thinking about, ready to offer the advice she needed whenever it was necessary. 

“Thanks, Tikki. I… I needed to hear that.” The little kwami hugged her cheek, and Marinette cupped her hands around her. 

“Just be safe, ok? I don’t know what we’d do without you. We all love you, Marinette.” And then Tikki fluttered back, making room for Plagg and Trixx. 

“So what kind of look are we going for, bug?” She placed the necklace around her neck first, before her attention turned to the ring; she lifted it delicately, watching the shape shift to accommodate her, and she handled it like it was holy. 

“I was thinking a black fox…”

When she slipped the ring over the middle finger of her right hand, it felt like another piece of her fell into place; Marinette felt like she was  _ home _ . She took a deep breath, doing them in sets like Harley had taught her. She couldn’t break down over this; she’d come too far. 

1…

2…

3…

Out.

Once she felt she had a handle on herself, Marinette stored the box away again, ignoring the sense of guilt clawing at her insides. It was intrusive, guilt wouldn’t make anything, least of all her, any better. She left her closet, and her room; Marinette couldn’t help but snort in laughter as she walked out to see Harley jumping around the living room, trying to stuff her second boot on her foot. Selina smiled at her when she saw her.

“Hey, Kitten, you need anything before we head out?” Marinette fiddled with the ring on her hand for a moment. 

“A-actually, I was hoping I could come out with… you?” The three women paused, and Harley yelped as she hit the floor; Pamela was the first one to recover. 

“Are you sure, Marigold? I know we’ve discussed it, but do you feel ready?” Marinette gulped, but nodded.

“I do. I want to help you guys stay safe. You’re-” She paused for a moment, giving them a smile, “You guys are my family now, and I have a job to do in Gotham.” Harley crowed in triumph as her boot finally slid on, and she sat up, staring at Marinette, a grin on her face. 

“Is this about all that magic mumbo jumbo youse was telling us about ages ago?” Marinette nodded, turning her attention to Selina; her pseudo mom was already decked out in her catsuit, ready for action, but the woman was staring her down, a thoughtful look on her face. 

“Kitten, if the Bat shows up, and I tell you to leave, you leave. Do you understand me?” Marinette hesitated; she was 18, nearly 19, she could do what she wanted technically. But she knew Selina had a weird thing with the Bat; like a frenemies/lovers thing kind of weird. So Marinette nodded; she wasn’t interested in dealing with the Bat anyway. 

He was a part of the League, and had ignored them too, after all. 

“That’s fine, as long as we’re not in danger.” Selina shook her head. 

“No, even if we are; you can’t fight the Bat, Mari.” Marinette’s eyes narrowed. 

“Lina, I can promise you, I can take him.” Harley laughed, while Ivy rolled her eyes. 

“We know how strong you are, Marigold; I think what Selina means, is that we’d rather keep that fact hidden if possible.” Selina nodded, a soft smile on her face. 

“You are the closest I’ve got to a girl of my own, kitten; and Batsy dislikes dealing with Metas.” Selina walks over, and tilts Mari’s head up as she gives the girl a kiss on her forehead, “And if he hurt you, I’m not sure I could forgive him.” Marinette nods, a sigh falling from her lips as she hugs Selina. 

“Using my love for you against me is dirty, Lina.” Harley laughed again, while Selina chuckled above her. 

“Quite effective though.” 

Harley is on her feet now, bouncing in place, and staring at Marinette. 

“So! Who’s it gonna be, princess?” 

And the name doesn’t make her flinch anymore; instead a warmth fills her chest as she thinks of him. 

That feels like progress. 

“Plagg, Claws Out! Merge!” 

Her outfit is something interesting; she’d said black fox, but she hadn’t thought Plagg and Trixx would take so many liberties with the design. Her boots were black with minimal white accents, and the grip on the bottom was startlingly effective. She had an open black jacket with a long coat tail tipped in white, and it had puffy shoulders with fitted half sleeves. A white belt hung around her hips, and she found a black baton strapped to it, while her flute was slung across her back. The pants were black as well, with white armored kneecaps, and the bottoms were tucked tightly into her boots. The shirt under her jacket was much like the rest, black, with a high collar; a small white ribbon sat there, a small golden bell nestled in it. The mask was nice, all black save for the white V coming down her nose; the biggest addition were the ears. 

Black fox ears stood out from the top of her head, twitching in every direction; little white tufts sat at the base of the ears, nestled in her hair. Her eyes glowed an icy blue from her mask, and when Marinette smiled at them, they all noticed the fangs. 

“Call me Vixen.” 

Selina’s grin was disturbing in its intent. 

“Oh, I cannot  _ wait _ for Bats to get a load of this.” 

Marinette’s grin grew a bit. 

“If he can see me you mean.” 

And Marinette pulled her magic tight, weaving it over the surface of her suit; and the Sirens watched her disappear. Ivy grinned, glancing at Harley. 

“ _ Oh, this will be fun. _ ” 

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  
  


They take one of Harley’s cars, a convertible muscle car, top down. 

And Marinette feels free. 

She’s not Ladybug. She is healing. She has people who love her. 

And maybe it’s time to reach out to those she left behind. 

She laughs as she breathlessly tells the Sirens what powers she has as Vixen; Illusion and Destruction always create interesting combinations after all. There’s a wicked gleam in Ivy’s eyes as she makes a request; and Marinette delights in the mischievous nature of it. With a flourish, she pulls the flute from her back, and plays a jaunty little tune. 

And the Sirens watch in fascination as a copy of their car, of  _ them _ , veers off in the direction of the jewelry store they’ll be hitting up in a couple hours; first they need to deal with the man himself. Marinette plays again, a softer, more haunting sound, and Selina watches the car begin to shine. 

“What’s that, kitten?” 

“That means we can no longer be seen; they’ll be chasing our copy while we hit him at his house.” Vixen grinned, “By the time they realize we’re not at the jewelers, they’ll head to his house; just to miss us-” 

“As we hit the store!” Harley finished, a broad grin on her face, “Well done, princess!” 

And Marinette glows at the praise, the nickname a balm on her heart instead of a sting.

It doesn’t take them long to get to the man’s house after that. 

  
  


~~

  
  


“Bats, I got the Sirens on the move. And there’s a problem.” Red Robin sighed as he followed the car from the rooftops. There was someone new among them, another woman clad in black with white. 

“Report, Red Robin.” 

“The Sirens are heading east towards the business district; looks like they’re out for a reason. There’s an unknown with them, black suit with what looks like…” Tim snorted, “Fox ears, I think.” 

There was silence for a moment, and Tim cleared the edge of the building only to land on the next. 

He’d missed this. 

“Continue to monitor, Red Robin; I’ll be along shortly.” 

“Copy. I’ll keep my distance for now.” 

He listened to Harley cackle as the women drove, and there were times when Tim struggled to keep pace with the car, utilizing his grappling hook. He followed them until they skidded to a stop in front of jewelry store. He rolled his eyes. 

‘Of course…’ 

Tim tapped his comm. 

“Bats, I’ve got them at a jewelry store, Stones ‘n Strips on the east side.” Tim jumped at the sound of boots next to him, looking up to see Batman already there. He huffed, “Some warning would be nice.” Bruce hummed in response, and Tim turned back to the street with a roll of his eyes. He watched the women pile out of the car, Catwoman wrapping an arm around the new girl, and hugging her close. That was… very familiar for Selina. Tim chanced a glance at Bruce, unsurprised to see him tense. And then they heard Harley. 

“Alrighty, Vixen, it’s time for your proper initiation, don’t ya think?” Her grin was broad, and the fox one nodded. Tim groaned softly. 

“Well shit. Not another Siren.” Bruce shushed him, listening. 

They watched Harley bow with a flourish, gesturing to the store front window. 

“Would you like to do the honors, chickadee?” 

With a sweeping move, the new figure - Vixen - had pulled a baton out, and Tim watched as it grew into a staff; and then she was shattering the window of the shop, much to Harley’s glee, the shattering of glass echoing painfully down the street. 

“Ooh, Cats, she’s just the best!” Harley wrapped the smaller girl in a hug, twirling her while Selina chuckled. 

“Of course she is; she’s my kitten after all.” And Tim didn’t need to be looking at Bruce to know the man froze; but he never did hesitate for long. 

“Let’s go, Red.” 

Tim only nodded and followed Bruce down to the street. 

All eyes turned to them, and Tim was disturbed at how synchronized they were. Harley grinned and sat the girl down, stepping in front of Vixen just a bit; so they were protective of her then. Tim watched Ivy and Selina for reactions, noticing how they too closed ranks around the new girl. 

Interesting. 

Selina grinned, “Hello, Batsy. Nice night, huh?” Ivy snorted, rolling her eyes. 

“You can’t be doing this Catwoman. Who’s the new one?” And Selina properly hissed, and Tim felt his eyes widen behind his mask. 

“She is none of your business, Bats. Keep yourself away from her.” Batman held his hands up, but before he could say anything else, Vixen stepped up; she placed a hand on Selina’s arm, and the older woman turned to look at her. 

Vixen smiled, “It’s ok, Cats. Besides, we’re done here, yes?” 

Tim frowned as he tried to discern the voice of this woman; there was an accent, but it was almost lost to the amalgamation of sound. All he could discern was that she had blue eyes and dark hair. He thought about how Selina had called her ‘her kitten’, and Tim glanced at Bruce; could it be? 

“What do you mean you’re done here?” And Vixen looked at Bruce, her face set into a scowl. 

“I wasn’t talking to  _ you _ , Bat.” And Tim was startled by the vehemency behind it. Harley grinned, tightening her grip on her hammer. 

“You heard the princess, Batsy, get lost!” Bruce frowned. 

“I think not.” 

Harley shrugged, a grin on her face. 

“Have it your way, then!” 

Red Robin tensed as the Harlequin woman darted forward, and he pulled out his bo staff, jumping back at the last second. 

But when Harley’s hammer connected with the ground, she popped like a bubble. Catwoman and Ivy were laughing, and Tim watched as they popped as well, leaving him and Batman with Vixen.

The young woman smiled, and waved. 

“Thanks for playing! Better luck next time!” 

She winked at Tim and then she too popped; the car was gone next, and Tim was left with a feeling like whiplash.

“Oracle, who owns this shop?” Bruce’s voice brought him out of his stupor, and he looked at his father, paying attention to the comm line. 

“That would be a Mister Reed, Bats. He’s a jeweler who’s been gunning for a spot on the city council due to his ‘influence’. Lotta reports about him abusing people though.” 

Damian’s voice came through. 

“Father, your harlot is over on the west side. It seems they’ve just finished at his house.” 

Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard Jason cackle over the line. 

“We’re on our way Robin. Be careful, they have an illusionist among them.” 

Damian scoffed. 

“No illusion will fool me.” 

Tim snorted, rolling his eyes, and followed Bruce’s signal to head back to the rooftops. They made good time, but when they made it to Damian’s location, Tim was amused to see the 14 year old sat cross legged with his arms crossed on the roof of a building. Tim grinned. 

“Let me guess, you lost them.” 

He sidestepped the batarang easily, grinning down at his little brother who only glared. 

“They disappeared, and my thermal gear malfunctioned; this is where I lost them.” Batman nodded, and then their comms flared to life, Oracle’s voice coming through. 

“The alarm at the jewelry store is going off! They must’ve looped around! I’m tapping into the security feed now!” Bruce cursed, tapping a button on his gauntlet; Tim grinned when he heard the rev of the Batmobile, peering down at the street in time to see the car swing around a corner. Batman dropped down, and climbed inside, and then Tim was left with Robin. He sighed. 

“Well, let’s see if we make it in time, baby bird.” 

“Don’t call me that.” 

Tim only laughed. 

  
  


~~

  
  


Vixen watched with the other Sirens as the Bats converged on the jewelry store they’d just finished with, and then they were rushing back to the car they’d parked several blocks away; it was a race back to the penthouse. If they made it, the Bats wouldn’t be able to even prove they’d been out about that night; it would be excellent. 

And they had. 

The Sirens burst into their apartment, the older three stripping out of their suits and quickly storing them away before settling into more relaxing clothes. Selina pressed some cash into Marinette’s hands with a grin. 

“Go buy yourself some good fabric, kitten; if you’re here when they arrive, it’ll be quite obvious.” Marinette nodded, giving her a smile, and a quick peck on the cheek, before she grabbed her purse, and left with haste. She was already down the street when she saw the shadows jump across to her building; and Marinette couldn’t help but grin, a small skip to her step.

They had absolutely ransacked that man’s home; they’d taken all the proof of his fraud, embezzlement, abuse, and put them in nice little stacks for Batman and the police; they’d taken out his security, robbed him blind, and left him for the cops. And her illusions had held true! She’d managed to lead the Bats on a wild little chase around the city while they robbed the jewelry store for all it was worth. 

Marinette felt a little bad about how much  _ fun _ she’d had. 

She giggled to herself, and she hears Trixx and Plagg snickering to themselves in her bag. Marinette hummed as she headed for the boutique around the block; it was an odd little place, being open 24 hours. But it sold some of the best fabrics she’d ever used, and it was a relief to be able to access it whenever she needed it. The door dinged as she pushed it open.

“Hi, Bridgette!” 

  
  


~~

  
  


Batman stood in the living room with his arms crossed, glaring down at Selina; her face was set in a scowl as she glared up at him. 

“I  _ told _ you Bats, we’ve been here all night. You checked the footage yourself; we had a girl’s night in tonight.” Bruce’s scowl deepened. 

“And the girl on camera leaving?” Selina waved her hand nonchalantly. 

“I repeat, that’s Marinette Fu. I found her on the streets a while back, and took her in. If you can adopt as many kids as you like, so can I Brucie-boy.” Batman stiffened at the use of his real name; it was kind of an open secret among the Sirens since they weren’t usually against him. 

And after what had happened with Tim all those years ago… 

Well, it had come out to Harley and Ivy after that; which had helped sway the two women to more… vigilante like activities. 

Bruce sighed, before he looked over at Tim, “Go.” Red Robin nodded, before he leapt off of the balcony, swinging down closer to the street. Selina’s eyes narrowed. 

“Bruce.” 

Batman turned, regarding the woman he loved; who was currently glaring at him with a determination he rarely saw from her. 

“If you hurt her, I will leave and I will never return, do you understand me? We will be  _ done. _ ” And that made Bruce pause; because that meant Selina had an authentic connection to this girl. 

“Is she your daughter?” And Selina blinked, a bit shocked, before she slowly shook her head. 

“Not by blood, no, but she is mine.” 

Bruce wanted to sigh in relief; he hadn’t made another child he didn’t know about. 

He nodded instead. 

“I won’t hurt her, Selina. I promise.” 

She huffed, crossing her arms. 

“You’re damn right you won’t.” 

  
  


~~ 

  
  


Tim had been glad when Bruce sent him out of the apartment to find the missing girl. Harley may have changed over the years, but Tim couldn’t help but be reminded of what had happened with the Joker when he saw her. It made it hard to be around her. 

His grappling hook clipped into the side of a nearby building, and then he was zipping out towards where Selina had said the girl was going. Seriously, who goes to buy fabric at this time of night? What kind of dumb, oblivious -

Tim tripped as he landed on a rooftop, seeing her walk out of the store down on the street. 

-beautiful girl did something like that?

She smiled back at the clerk, waving before walking down the street like she didn’t have a care in the world. Tim followed quietly along on the rooftops, listening to her hum. 

She was… She was really pretty, wow. 

Tim flushed, scowling as he tried to stay focused on his task. He was an adult, damnit, he didn’t lose his head over pretty girls. He sighed, knowing Bruce wanted him to bring her back. With much reluctance, he dropped to the sidewalk, several feet behind her. 

“Excuse me, miss?” 

  
  


~~

  
  


Marinette waved goodbye to Bridgette as she left, smiling at her as she resituated her bags. The city was quieter at night, and Marinette sighed as she walked down the street back towards the apartment. A small tap from her purse told Marinette that Trixx and Plagg were also aware of their little follower. 

Who apparently had decent intentions. 

“Excuse me, miss?” 

Marinette turned, finding Red Robin standing several feet from her with his hands up; hm, so he’s smart then. Quick to assume a non-threatening stance, too. She had to give him credit, that was a good approach. She smiled. 

“Good evening, Red Robin. What can I do for you?” He flushed, the red meeting his mask; her illusion had rung true, earlier. 

He  _ was _ cute. 

And he seemed surprised she knew who he was. 

“Um, I’m very sorry to bother you, but are you Marinette Fu?” Marinette nodded, turning to face him fully. 

“Yes, that’s right. What is it?” He cleared his throat, and Marinette’s smile grew just a bit. 

“Batman has tasked me with seeing you home. He’s… discussing some things with your roommates.” Marinette looked appropriately surprised. 

“Oh, well we can’t keep him waiting. Let’s hurry.” She turned to hurry down the street, when Red Robin caught her hand gently; Marinette turned to regard him, stunned. It was like a shock had shot up her arm; he looked just as surprised, before he licked his lips, and cleared his throat. 

“I think there may be a faster way.” Marinette raised a brow, and gestured with her free hand. 

“Well then let’s do that then. I don’t want to keep Batman waiting.” Red Robin nodded, and after a moment, stepped closer to her; he hesitantly reached for her waist, but paused. 

“May I?” 

She wouldn’t lie, she swooned a little. 

Marinette smiled, nodding, “You may.” 

He wrapped his arm around her waist a moment later, pulling her close to him, while he aimed his grappling hook with the other. 

“Hang on tight, Marinette.” She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face against his chest. She heard the click and release, and she yelped when they left the ground, clutching her bags close. It was surreal for her to be in the air without her miraculous; and strangely liberating. It had been a long time since another hero had carried her civilian form. Marinette kept her eyes shut tight as Red Robin swung them back to the apartment, and in no time, they were landing on the balcony. 

He released her gently, gripping her elbow when she stumbled. She giggled, a bit hysteric, and she grinned at him. 

“That was so fun!” Her legs felt a bit like jelly, but not in a bad way, and Marinette laughed a bit more at the flushed look on Red Robin’s face. “Thank you for helping me home.” 

“Red Robin.” 

Marinette jumped, turning to see the balcony doors open; Batman stood there, Selina next to him. She could see Ivy and Harley in the living room still. Selina glared at Red Robin, stepping over to Marinette and checking the girl over. 

“You couldn’t have brought her through the lobby, Red? Geez…” Marinette grinned at Selina, handing her the fabric bags as she reached for them. 

“It’s fine, it was really fun, Lina! Red Robin was a true gentleman, very polite.” Marinette turned to Red Robin again, who was staring at Batman, a silent conversation between the two. He looked at her a moment later, and Marinette winked, watching the boy’s face redden again. 

“Marinette Fu.” With a small pout, Marinette turned her attention to Batman, who was staring down at her. 

“Yes, sir?” 

“Where were you tonight?” 

Marinette nodded at Selina, “I was with Lina and my aunties. We had a girls night in with movies and junk food. Lina asked me to make her a gown for the Wayne Charity event next month, and I generally have a problem sleeping, so,” She shrugged, “I decided to pop down the block to Bridgette’s boutique since she’s like always open, and grab some fabric. I was just leaving when Red Robin showed up, and said you’d like to speak with me.” Selina was staring at Batman in smug satisfaction, looking every bit like the cat that got the canary. “I was also planning on making some chocolate chip cookies, if you’d like some.” 

Harley was cackling, Ivy dragging her further into the apartment so she wouldn’t disturb them; she even heard Red Robin snicker, coughing to hide it. Batman stared at her for a moment longer. 

“How long have you been in Gotham? Your accent is Parisian.” Marinette shrugged. 

“Almost two years.” Batman nodded. 

“And you’ve been here the whole time?” 

“Yes, sir. I graduated from Gotham Academy last summer. Lina had me enrolled in school, and I’ve only lived with her and my aunties since.” She met his eyes, waiting for him to say something else; she didn’t get what she expected. 

“That means you were in Paris during the Hawkmoth incident. My condolences for that.” 

Marinette’s breath caught, and her eyes widened a bit, but Batman continued. 

“The press release never felt like enough after what had happened; but I am sorry the citizens of Paris - your - grief was ignored by the League.” She stared at him, shocked. 

“I, uh th-thank you. That means quite a lot, given how much my classmates suffered during that time.” Batman nodded. 

“Measures have been put into place to ensure it never happens again.” 

He didn’t know she was Ladybug, did he? There was no way; she hadn’t transformed with Tikki since… 

Well. 

Since then. 

She’d thought that everyone in the League had just willfully ignored them; even the press release, and their apology hadn’t changed her mind. But Marinette was always good at reading people, and Batman was clearly repentant about what had happened; he was genuinely upset by what had happened in Paris. 

And she  _ was  _ trying to be better. 

Marinette held her hand out to him, giving him a smile. 

“Thank you. That means much more than you can possibly imagine.” Batman paused, seemingly startled, before he reached out and shook her hand. After a moment, he stepped back, eyeing her as Selina stepped up next to her. Marinette offered the older woman a smile before turning back to Batman; Red Robin stood on the railing of the balcony, watching on in interest. Batman finally cleared his throat, nodding at them.

“Stay out of trouble, ladies. Have a nice rest of your night.” 

With a click of his grappling hook, he zipped away. Red Robin grinned after his father, raising his hand in a two finger salute before he followed after him; he almost missed the flirty wink and grin Marinette gave him. 

In response, he nearly missed the gargoyle. 

Things were not going Tim’s way. 

  
  


~~~~~~~~~~~

  
  


Marinette ended up making it more of a habit than she’d intended; patrolling, that is. Running around the city of Gotham as Vixen was freeing in a way that being Ladybug had never brought her. As Ladybug, she couldn’t fail; couldn’t even entertain the notion. Ladybug was victory, and responsibility; duty. 

_ ‘Ladybug is  _ **_War_ ** _.’ _ Her mind whispered, but it was easier to dismiss nowadays; she didn’t regret being Ladybug, even with what she’d endured. 

If she did, that would mean she’d regret their time together; and that wasn’t a conceivable option. 

But Vixen was fresh air, and the thrill of the hunt; it was helping people at the most basic level. Dealing with the petty crime of Gotham was  _ nothing _ compared to the akuma; nothing compared to Hawkmoth. She does real good as Vixen, rounding up criminals, and ruining their plans with her illusions. Marinette knows she has to be careful though; it’s only been two weeks since the Bat came to see the Sirens at home.

Only two weeks since her debut. 

Her skills are holding up, though, which is what matters. Her illusions hold even when they come within inches of her; keeping her concealed, and undetected. Marinette finds it quite enjoyable, sneaking around the roofs of Gotham and leading the Bats and Birds on a merry chase. 

Pausing in her patrol, Vixen looks down from her high perch, watching Red Robin and Nightwing as they run along the buildings below. Her ears twitch as her lips curve into a fanged grin. 

Her favorite birdy is out tonight. 

Pulling her illusion tight, Marinette drops from her vantage point, extending her staff to carry her momentum; her illusion masks the sound, and she follows the two young men at a distance. Curiosity burns at her, and she wonders if that’s Plagg’s influence, or hers. 

She hasn’t seen much of Nightwing, given how the hero splits his time between Gotham, Bludhaven, and sometimes even Jump City; but Red Robin has become one of her favorite birds to… well, follow would be the nicer term. Marinette grins as she notices Red tense, throwing a look over his shoulder; Nightwing is still oblivious. 

Red Robin is always the first one to notice her; and what a curious thing that is, given that the magic should make her undetectable. She watched as Red Robin called Nightwing to stop, and Marinette paused on the building next to them. He was always so interesting to watch, when he started looking for her. Tilting her head, Vixen watched Red Robin as he checked around the corner of the electrical boxes on his building. His hair was kind of shaggy, she noticed; it was kind of cute. 

Marinette giggled, watching as he got more frustrated; then Nightwing was talking. 

“Not sure what you’re looking for, little bird. No one’s seen that Vixen chick since that last Siren incident.” Red Robin shook his head in frustration. 

“ _ Someone _ is following us, Nightwing. I’ve noticed it, and so has Bats, and Robin.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair, “It’s frustrating, cause it’s just a feeling; all of our thermal equipment messes up when they’re in range.” Nightwing shrugged.

“Well, do you think they’re a villain?” Red Robin paused, before he threw his hands up. 

“Of course not! They’ve been leaving people tied up, and deposited at the police with evidence; that’s not exactly evil, dummy.” Marinette laughed in delight, watching in fascination as Red Robin turned in her direction; he kind of looked like he was squinting. It was almost adorable. Nightwing groaned. 

“Then  _ why _ do you care, Red? Just let it go.” 

“They’re an  _ unknown _ , you idiot. You know how dangerous that is in a place like Gotham.” 

Marinette’s ears twitched; she was growing bored listening to them talk. Maybe she could prompt something a bit more fun… With a grin, Vixen jumped from her building to the Birds’, making extra sure to keep her illusion full. No sound came from her, but she watched Red Robin tense up anyway. Marinette purred, her grin growing diabolical. 

So curious… 

_ How did he always know? _

Red Robin sighed, casting his eyes around cautiously, “Nightwing, you go ahead and finish patrol; I’m going to check for evidence around here.” Nightwing groaned, shrugging his shoulders. 

“Alright, little bird, just make sure you make it in time for debrief. You know how the Bat gets.” Red Robin simply nodded, and with one more concerned look, Nightwing vaulted away, leaving his brother alone on the roof. 

Or well, he would’ve been, if it weren’t for Vixen circling him, cloaked in her illusions. 

How interesting this would be… 

  
  


~~~~

  
  
  


Tim tensed as Nightwing left; they were definitely here. His hair stood on end as he felt someone watching him, and he would forever deny how nervous it made him. There was no sound, and there was never anything when he looked; but someone was there. Someone had been following them around the city off and on for the last two weeks or so; at least that he’d been aware of them. 

Which just aligned too well with the arrival of a new Siren if he was being honest; and Tim wasn’t one to believe in coincidences. 

His eyes scanned the rooftop as he turned, looking around the empty space. His frown only deepened, and he muted his comms. 

“I know you’re there, you know.” 

The utter silence around him seemed to almost pause, and Tim realized with startling clarity that he couldn’t hear the sounds of the city around him; it was as silent as the dead. 

He caught a glimpse of glowing blue eyes before they were gone as quick as they’d come; a feminine giggle caught on the wind. 

“You always know, little bird.” 

‘Holy shit.’ 

Red Robin cleared his throat, a little caught off guard at the response; he honestly hadn’t expected one. He turned, looking over his shoulder for any sign of them. 

“It’s the paranoia.” 

Another giggle. 

“You are safe with me, little bird. You’re far too curious to eat.” 

Tim’s face hurt with how fast his cheeks grew red, and his scowl grew more pronounced. 

“And how do I know that? We haven’t even seen you, and we don’t know who you really are.” There was a hum behind him, and Red Robin turned, unsurprised at the lack of person present. 

“I think you’ll just have to trust me, Red Robin.” He scoffed, more sarcastic than biting. 

“Yeah, cause that’ll happen.” He jumped as he felt a tap on his shoulder, and before he’d thought about it, Tim lashed out with his right hand. He hadn’t spent all that time training with his family for nothing. 

He paused as his hand wrapped securely around air, and there was a startled yelp. The illusion melted in an instant, and Tim found his hand holding onto the arm of a young woman dressed in black, white accents lining the outfit. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him, icy blue and shocked. Tim smiled, a little smug.

It was Vixen. 

“Now we can talk, Vixen.”

She blinked at him owlishly, but then she grinned, and Tim caught a glimpse of her fangs; and then she was in his space, face inches from his, and Tim _definitely_ did not yelp. 

“You are very curious indeed, little bird.” Vixen hummed, circling him with a quick movement as he turned to watch her; he was quite easy to unsettle then. “You’re quick to notice me, despite the fact that you shouldn’t. Your older brothers are quite slow, though.” She stopped in front of him, stepping up to him again, and Tim decidedly did not think about how cute she looked. 

Nope. Definitely did not. 

“I nearly ran into Red Hood, you know, and he didn’t even notice.” Red Robin watched the young woman pout a bit, but his eyes narrowed. 

“How do you know they’re my brothers?” She laughed, giving him an amused smile; a bit teasing, but full of honest mirth. 

“Only siblings tease like you four do, birdy. It’s quite obvious. After all, you lot don’t have magic protecting you.” Vixen smiled, stepping away from him as his cheeks grew red. Her smile was playful as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Any other questions?” 

Tim cleared his throat, looking away pointedly; was she… was she being flirty?? Why?? 

“What do you mean you nearly ran into Red Hood?” She rolled her eyes, groaning. 

“Ugh, I was just lounging around when I heard someone land on my napping roof; so I got up to check it out, and nearly got bulldozed when he came around the corner.” Vixen grinned, a mildly feral look on her face, “And he didn’t even notice, just kept whining about something. I toyed with him a little bit that night since he ruined my nap.” When she looked back at Red Robin, she found him staring at her ears; Vixen grinned. 

“You should look a girl in the eyes, Red; it’s rude to stare you know.” She laughed in delight as his face erupted into red at her words, and he spluttered. He averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I’m sorry, that was rude of me, wasn’t it? I just didn’t realize your ears… they’re  _ real _ .” Vixen nodded, grinning; she’d leave him some breadcrumbs, maybe? That could be fun. 

“Only when I’m transformed; otherwise I’m a normal human like you.” She watched in amusement as his eyes narrowed while he filed that tidbit of information away; her birdy was smart then too. Before he can say anything else though, her baton beeps, and Vixen offers him an apologetic smile. 

“Sorry birdy, but I’ve got to scram.” She winked at him, a grin on her face, “See you another time, then!” With a wave, she clicked the white paw print on her baton, and Tim watched as it extended, sending her away from him. Gods, she was fast; he didn’t even have time to get a word in. 

But she did say she’d see him another time… 

And he’d gotten valuable information! 

It was a win-win!

Tim flushed, groaning as he finally turned his comms back on. 

He really should not be thinking about how cute the new Siren is. 

….

Damnit. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Mari getting to be free as Vixen is more fun than I thought it would be lol Also can't wait to get into more o the psychological side of things. >.>
> 
> It's ok Tim, she is adorable; it's pointless to resist. Just embrace it. lol
> 
> Want to clarify as well, Marinette is flirting with Red Robin, but it’s much more of a playful thing, and not serious; we’ll get into the guilt this brings about later >.> hueheuheueheuheuehue I’ve always viewed Tim as an analytical, rational Robin, and my favorite thing is how they’ll eventually banter. I headcanon that he’s a bit easy to fluster at times, but once he’s had time to adapt, the Wayne charm gets turned on, and it becomes harder to fluster him.   
> i am begging myself to take it slowly with this; i am an impatient ho though.


	3. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim's investigating, and he really doesn't have enough coffee for this. Marinette reveals her reason for picking Gotham, and meets her new partner's family ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this was super fun to write, won't lie. Sorry it's not Ladybug in Gotham, but boy, Timinette happened, and I just couldn't stop it y'all. I lost control of my fingers. Also, Mari and Jason are gonna be such bros later, I'm really excited to write that. 
> 
> Enjoy darlings! <3

It doesn’t take the Sirens long to realize what she’s been up to; in fact, it only takes them about a month. 

Harley grins as she hoists herself up onto the kitchen counter next to where Marinette is cooling some cupcakes. She leans over, and Marinette hesitantly leans away; that sly look of Harley’s means nothing but trouble, she knows.

“Sooo~, how’s the birdy, princess?” 

Marinette splutters, her face going red, as she turns back to her pastries. 

“I-I don’t know what you mean, Harley.” Harley laughed, leaning back out of Marinette’s space. 

“Suuurree you don’t, foxy; but Vixen certainly seems interested.” Marinette paused where she’d started piping the icing onto the cupcakes; she sat it down after a moment, and stared down at the counter. Finally, she looked at Harley, and the woman’s grin fell a bit. 

“Is… Is it ok for me to like someone now? It doesn’t feel like it’s been long enough yet, since…” Marinette paused, looking away, before she sighed and turned back to Harley, “I do kind of like Red Robin; like a crush, you know?” She smiled a bit, thinking about how much fun she’d been having, leaving him clues, and dropping in to help him from out of nowhere; though she wasn’t sure he was having as much as her, heh. 

She hadn’t shown herself to him since he’d caught her that time; and she hadn’t let him catch her since. It had been an error on her part, her arrogance making a rare show, and she’d underestimated his speed; but he still always knew when she arrived on the scene, even if he couldn’t pinpoint her. As Marinette, she felt a little bad, knowing her presence put him on edge, but going anyway; he was so interesting though, and she just wanted to know more. That’s why she’d started helping him, watching his back, and leaving him evidence he may need. 

It seemed he at least appreciated that. 

Harley fell into her therapist mode rather seamlessly, her face growing serious as she hummed; her eye was critical, but Marinette knew she was only concerned. They’d made great strides in decreasing her guilt since she’d arrived in Gotham; but some days were much worse than others, and this was a new kind of problem for her. 

“Well, instead of asking yourself if it’s ‘ok’ for you to like someone, why not ask yourself this: What would Adrien want for you, Marinette?” 

Her breath caught a bit, but hearing his name didn’t make her burst into tears anymore; she may not be able to bring herself to say it (or even think it most days), but it no longer pains her to hear it. She always wanted the world to speak of him; he deserved nothing less. She took a deep breath, holding it for five seconds, before releasing it. 

“He-he would want me to be happy, I think; he was always like that, wanting his friends to be happy, no matter what.” And then her exercises went out the window as her voice cracked, and she was crying, fat tears rolling down her cheeks, “Even if- if it hurt him, he wanted us h-happy…” Harley hopped down, and pulled her in for a hug, and Marinette gripped the woman’s shirt as she cried; Harley rubbed soothing circles into her back, a small frown on her face. 

“You can like or love whenever you’re ready, Marinette; you don’t have to rush, but you don’t have to hold yourself back either. You can just live, and keep moving forward.” Marinette nodded into the front of Harley’s shirt, and then Selina and Pamela were there, wrapping her in hugs as well. Pamela sighed, giving Harley an exasperated look. 

“You were supposed to tease her a little, not make her cry, dummy.” 

Marinette snorted, giggling through her tears, and Harley just gave Pamela a dry look. 

“Bite me, baby.” Selina groaned as Pamela perked up a bit. 

“Not in front of the kid, you two.” 

Marinette was really laughing now, balancing on Harley for support as she chortled. The three older Sirens shared a fond look between them; Marinette had come far since Selina had first found her. And honestly, she brought them a dynamic they hadn’t considered before; Marinette was, as far as they were concerned, a literal ray of sunshine. Compared to them, she was probably the most compassionate, and moral; but she never begrudged them their more… illicit activities. 

She didn’t discourage Selina’s stealing; nor did she scold Harley for her very harsh treatment of abusers, of which they often encountered. Marinette never even bothered Pamela about her eco-terrorism after seeing the state of American politics. But if they stepped out of line, she’d lecture them for hours. Like that time Ivy had rolled a House hearing, and held the members of the committee hostage; she’d accidentally crushed the leg of one of the poor paper pusher girls in the office outside when she’d busted in; Marinette had scolded her for hours after that one.

And if she’d grown a little used to them killing or threatening really, truly bad people, then well... 

Marinette would say it was the trauma. 

...Harley would too. 

Once Marinette had calmed down, Selina smirked. 

“So are you ready to tell us about your little birdy, kitten?” 

And Marinette smiled, wiping the tears off her cheeks, and she nodded. 

“I think I’d like that, Lina.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tim dug his hands into his hair and groaned, leaning back in his computer chair; he drug his hands down to his face, and rubbed his hands in his eyes. He’d been staring at the file for the last two months, slowly adding to it what he could; and he still had damn near nothing. 

Vixen was a goddamn mystery, and it was driving him up the wall trying to figure her out. 

Where had she come from? What was her angle? Her goals? How did she get those powers? How was she invisible? Why was she with the Sirens? Why were her eyes so _blue_ -

Tim groaned again, louder this time as he stood up, his chair scooting back. He was in his flat, the one Bruce let him keep in the city; it was the only place he could really get away from his family at. A welcome reprieve sometimes, honestly. Moving into the kitchen, Tim yawned as he poured a fresh cup of coffee, adding just a bit of milk. He leaned back against the counter as he took a sip, the warmth of the drink soothing his frayed nerves. Tim sighed. 

He’d thought that Marinette girl was the connection, for sure; she was the logical conclusion. She had the dark eyes and hair, and she was close with the Sirens, and moreso, Selina. Yet every time the Sirens went out with Vixen, Marinette had clearly been seen either in their apartment, or out and about in Gotham; Tim had never seen Vixen without Marinette being seen elsewhere. Which would, normally, eliminate her from the suspect pool; but Vixen was proficient in Illusions, and Tim knew she was only getting better the more time passed. Damian was having a hard time sensing her now, and Bruce only picked up on her presence eight out of ten times at most. Her magic was definitely getting stronger. 

Which worried Tim, and kept him up late at night; of which, he was not a fan. 

_Then_ you add on the fact that she’s been stalking him through the night while he patrols; sure, she never does anything to obstruct him, and has done nothing but help, but _why_. _Why_ is she helping them if she’s a Siren? Sure, the Sirens are much more Vigilante Justice nowadays; but they know that Harley and Ivy have made kills within the last five years _at least_. Proving it was another matter entirely, which was why the women often found themselves under surveillance from the Bat himself. 

But Vixen was doing nothing but keeping him safe, and leaving him little goodies that he needed for whatever case he was on. It was almost endearing, if she’d been willing to just give them to him herself; or maybe fight where he can see her. 

Tim frowned as he finished his coffee off, and rinsed his mug out. He didn’t like it; how could he watch her back in return if he couldn’t see her? If she was going to keep following him around, the least she could do was actually work with him instead of- of- hunting him! 

He flushed as he thought back to that night on the roof, running his hand through his hair as he went back to the computer in his living room; he collapsed back into his desk chair. She’d looked so surprised when he’d caught her, and he’d hoped to speak to her more after that night; but outside of that first encounter, she hadn’t so much as spoken a word. 

During his last two months of research, Tim had deduced there was no one else Vixen could possibly be besides Marinette Fu; but he couldn’t prove it. Not without breaking into the Sirens’ apartment, and he was pretty sure Bruce would be mad at him for that since Selina lived there. When he’d checked the young woman’s file, he’d been startled to say the least at how bare it was. All it had was her name, date of birth, and her graduation from Gotham Academy; her guardian was listed as Selina Kyle, at least until she’d turned 18. No other family, no hometown, no prior schooling; she’d just popped up overnight. 

And Tim knew Marinette wasn’t a bad person. Batman had put her under surveillance after the first Vixen sighting, sharing Tim’s suspicions. All they’d ever seen her do was walk down to the fashion boutique down the street to buy fabric; go grocery shopping, and go to the park to sketch. Oftentimes, she’d stop to help others along the routes she’d walk; and it shocked Tim. Gothamites were suspicious by nature, but these people were always so happy and grateful to her, and she never failed to return the sentiment. The folks had all unanimously agreed; the girl was an angel, heaven sent. 

Tim groaned again, looking back at the two pictures on his computer screen. Marinette’s picture stood in stark contrast next to the only decent picture of Vixen he had. 

_So then **why** was she with the Sirens?_

What had he _missed_? 

A sharp clap of thunder sounded outside as his window lit up with lightning, and Tim jumped, slamming his knee into the underside of his desk as he groaned. 

He forgot the pain a moment later. 

He remembered now. 

Recovered, Tim’s hands flew over his keyboard as he accessed the Batcave’s archives from a secure connection. Delving into the previous years’ recordings, he dug one up from early last spring; the night that that Paris broadcast had aired. 

How could he forget the sound of that sorrow? 

He found the patrol video he was looking for, opening it, and scrolling through the footage.

There! 

He played the video as the camera turned to look off the edge of a building; it was his visor footage from that night. 

**“Note, Selina’s picked up some girl; she seems upset.”**

**“Noted, Red Robin, thank you.”**

Tim paused the video as the girl in Selina’s arms snuggled closer, lifting her head up just enough to see her face. Enhancing the picture, Tim zoomed in, and leaned back in his chair as her face cleared up. 

It was Marinette. 

That had been _her_ wailing that night; like there was nothing left in this world. It was what had drawn him to the area; someone upset like that shouldn’t be left alone. Selina had beat him though, and had got the girl somewhere safe, taking her home with her. He still wasn’t sure where she’d come from, but…

Well, it was a start. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette sighed as she laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath, held it, and released. Outside, the thunder clapped, sharp and sudden. It was time. 

“Tikki?” The red kwami smiled as she zipped over. 

“Yes, Marinette?” Marinette smiled and sat up, holding out a hand; Tikki landed in her hand, getting comfy.

“I think it’s time I start doing what I’m supposed to do for Gotham.” 

  
~~~

  
Selina choked on her coffee, coughing into her hand while Harley laughed at her; Pamela merely rolled her eyes, and handed Selina a tissue. Marinette fiddled with her hands, while Pamela smiled. 

“You want to open a cafe, Marigold?” Marinette nodded. 

“I… I have a responsibility here in Gotham, and I really need to get started on it. My master used to run a massage parlor, but I don’t think that’d be a good fit for the people here. This city runs on treats and coffee, so I thought it would be the best medium to promote the healing I need to do.” Selina finally recovered and cleared her throat. 

“You can cure people with coffee?” Marinette giggled; it sounded a little funny like that. She shrugged a shoulder. 

“Well, kind of, yes. Gotham carries a mass of unnatural misfortune; I need to help it regain its balance. That’s my job as Guardian.” Her smile dimmed a bit, and she wrung her hands, “I was thinking a cafe would be best because the healing method I’ll have to use will be potions, and they can be mixed seamlessly into beverages, or food; and since I already have a background in baking, I’m used to the kind of environment it will have.” Harley raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. 

“So then why did your master have a massage parlor, princess?” Marinette held her hands up, and the Sirens watched in slight awe as the girls hands glowed a soft green. 

“The other way a Guardian can heal is through physical contact; but the main populace of Gotham are very distrusting after everything that’s happened here.” Marinette shrugged, the glow fading away, “I just thought the potions would be easier in the long run. They’re made from natural ingredients, and then I just need to bless them.” Now Ivy looked skeptical; Marinette wanted to groan. She really should have talked to all of them about the details of the Miracle Box before now, she supposed. Then maybe it would be easier.

“Bless them?” Ivy asked, and Marinette nodded. 

“There are different blessings for each type of potion. I’ll be mostly using Cleansing, Healing, and Recovery potions, but the most difficult one to brew is usually the Good Fortune one. It’s not made to be consumed, but is used to cleanse physical locations of intense misfortune.” Marinette watched the older women all share a look, and finally, Selina grinned. 

“Well, have you picked a location yet?” 

Marinette felt her throat constrict, and she took a deep breath, preparing for the next part of this conversation. 

“I… I think I’ve found one, yes. It’s located on the edge of the business district, down the block from Wayne Enterprises.” She swallowed her nerves, “It… has an apartment above it, too.” Everyone’s eyes grew wide, and Harley looked a bit panicked. 

“Princess, you ain’t gotta move out!” Selina nodded, looking from Harley back to Marinette. 

“She’s right, kitten. Did we do something wrong?” Marinette frantically shook her head, raising her hands in front of her. 

“No! Oh, no no! I just-!” She grew visibly frustrated when she couldn’t find the words, her eyes falling to the side as she frowned. 

“You two need to relax.” All eyes turned to Ivy, who calmly took a sip of her tea before looking back at them. “You’re freaking her the hell out. She’s obviously very nervous about this. Besides, it’s a good idea for her to stretch her wings like this.” Marinette offered her a grateful smile while the other two Sirens frowned. Harley huffed, and stood, wrapping Marinette in a tight hug. 

“You make sure you come visit plenty, got it, squirt?” Marinette nodded, wrapping her arms around Harley and squeezing; she made sure to watch her strength though, not wanting to hurt her. 

“I will, I swear. I was actually, uhhh…” Marinette trailed off, smile turning sheepish, and her cheeks pinkening, “I was actually wondering if any of you would be willing to help me? At least until I can get people hired to help man the shop and stuff.” Harley pulled back, placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders and giving her a grin. 

“I’d love to, princess. Can’t speak for the others though.” They both turned to Selina and Pamela who were watching in amusement. Selina sighed, a smile coming to her face. 

“Let’s worry about getting the place ready first, then we’ll talk about the rest. Ok?” 

Marinette smilled, relief rolling through her as the stress of the conversation fell from her shoulders. 

“Ok, Lina.” 

  
~~~~

  
Following quietly, Vixen watched as the Bats staked out a warehouse. It had gotten easier to track them, and now, three months in, she had their patterns memorized. She was surprised to find that the hardest to track were Nightwing and Red Hood, though for two very different reasons. Nightwing liked to utilize acrobatics, almost to a ridiculous degree; quite frankly, she’s pretty sure he’s showing off. He certainly seems like the ‘fun one’ of the flock. Red Hood has a tendency to duck into alleyways, and hidden paths that Vixen would’ve otherwise never known about. He’d nearly lost her several times in all the twists and turns the man took while he patrolled; he knew the city like the back of his hand, which told her he was a native. Robin moved like death, despite being a walking stop light; he was always the hardest to pick out in the shadows. Given that Batman was dressed in all black, Vixen had to give the young man credit. He was stealthy as hell, and he had the aggression to back it up; he and Red Hood reeked of malicious magic. She’d have to try and remember to mention that to Tikki. 

Most of the Bats were here from what she could see. Batman was speaking quietly with Nightwing, their eyes on the building; Red Hood had Robin in a headlock, and she snorted when the young man kicked his older brother in the head. Red Hood had simply laughed, letting him go. Her coat tail swung idly behind her, and her ears perked up at the sound of another grappling hook. Red Robin landed next to Batman, speaking quietly, and then as a unit, they all dispersed. 

Vixen’s brows drew together, and she followed her bird close; she noticed his shoulders tense as he ran, and fought a small smile. He always knew, after all. She followed him through a side door, and up into the darkened rafters of the warehouse, crouching next to him in the silence. He sighed, muting his comms; he still hadn’t told his family about his constant run-ins with the woman, given their untrusting nature. 

“I know you’re there, Vixen. I need to be able to hear them, so you have to draw your illusion back a little.” She pouted, but drew her magic back just a bit so he could hear the conversations down below. He smiled slightly, “Thanks.” 

Vixen flushed, huffing, her tail swirling in embarrassment. 

“This is a pretty big deal you know, dude.” Her attention dropped to a pair of men separate from the rest down blow, watching them closely as they chatted. “Everyone was sure he was dead; he’s been gone for years now.” The other man scoffed. 

“I’m still not convinced it’s him anyway. Could just be a poser.” The first man shuddered. 

“Nah, man, I used to goon for him back in the day. Dude is seriously fucked up; you can’t fake that. Why would you even _want_ to?”

“That’s fair.” 

Vixen turned back to Red Robin, watching his face; so she saw when his brows rose under his mask, the white’s growing large in shock. She wondered idly what color his eyes were. 

The fight breaking out over in the corner distracted her, and then Red Robin was jumping into the fray with a curse. Vixen hesitated; every time she’d helped him up until this point, he’d been alone. With his family here, should she risk it? Noticing a thug sneaking up on Robin while he dispatched two others, she made her choice. Pulling her staff, it extended, and landed harshly on the thug’s back, still invisible. She lowered herself to the ground, knocking the man out as she did so. Robin was glaring at the downed man, and glancing around furiously. She rolled her eyes fondly; he was so paranoid and adorable, bless him. She clotheslined another goon as she worked her way to Red Robin, wanting to make sure he stayed safe. 

She spun around Nightwing as he swung a man over his shoulder, throwing him on the pavement, and she ducked under one of Batman’s kicks, skittering between him and the goon he was fighting. Honestly, how did they not bump into each other? 

She found her birdy working with Red Hood against five other men. There was a gash on Red Robin’s forehead, and Red Hood was berating him for something, but Vixen couldn’t hear that anymore. Her eyes zeroed in on the blood, and her vision tunneled as a growl ripped from her chest, echoing in the room; it caused several people to stumble in shock, but Red Robin’s eyes grew wide in knowing. Her baton spun around her neck in a smooth movement and she extended it, knocking one man in the back of the head; he fell into Red Hood’s line of fire, a rubber bullet making its home in the man’s cheek as he passed out. With a twirl, she knocked back the remaining four, giving them some breathing room. Red Hood was looking around in confusion, but Red Robin merely glanced in her direction with a nod. But she wasn’t done yet. 

Letting those two take the lead once more, she followed the scent of blood; Red Robin’s blood. A small knife lay on the ground, but no person was present. There was the click of a gun. Vixen turned, seeing one of the lackeys pointing a pistol at Red Robin’s back as he and his brother finished up. 

She hadn’t meant to. 

Really. She’d just reacted. 

In a second, she was on him, utilizing the power from her father’s side of the family. WIth a vicious snarl, she grabbed the man, and threw him; she hadn’t expected the crater his body left when he hit the wall. Uncaring, she stalked towards him, her illusion falling as she twirled her staff. Her face was twisted, fangs bared as the man pulled himself out of the hole. He still held his gun, and he raised it, aiming it at her.

“You think to shoot him while his back is turned? You’re a filthy coward.” The main coughed, blood splattering the ground in front of him. 

“Then I’ll just shoot you, girly.” The weapon discharged, hitting her in the chest, and Vixen only smiled, all teeth and sharp edges, as the round fell to the floor. The man stumbled back as she continued to close in, and she grabbed him by the collar, slamming him back into the wall; the stone shook with the force. 

“You try and shoot my birdy, and now me? I’m usually rather nice I think, but you are just pissing me off now.” She holds up a clawed hand, flexing her fingers, “Cataclysm.” 

The man screams as her hand lights up with the dark energy, and she slowly moves it towards him. 

And past him, to the gun. 

It crumbles to dust, ashes falling to the floor, and she lets the man drop. She feels… vengeful. It leaves a heady feeling on her tongue; she’s a little ashamed to admit she kind of likes it. 

There’s a click from behind her, and Vixen turns to see Red Robin behind her; but he’s got his back to her, and his arms spread out. Her eyes widen, and she flinches; he’s standing between her and his family. Red Hood stood in front of him, gun up and pointed in her direction. 

“Red Robin, move, goddamnit.” 

“Fuck off, Hood. She helped us.” Batman stepped around Red Hood, looking at his third oldest closely. 

“And she utilized an unknown, insanely destructive force. She’s dangerous.” Red Robin crossed his arms, not moving. 

“Not to me.” 

Robin scoffed, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. 

“And how would you know? She’s been stalking us for months, who knows what her intentions are.” 

“I would never hurt my birdy, little Robin.”

Arms snaked around his waist and torso, and Red Robin sighed as he glanced over his shoulder. Bright blue eyes stared up at him, a sly smile on her lips. 

“Really? Now? You decide to not come out for ages, and this is when I get to talk to you again?” Vixen shrugs, fixing her eyes on the four in front of them. The tail of her coat swishes behind her, and Tim’s not sure he likes the mirth and suppressed anger in her gaze.

“I wasn’t going to let you get hurt, birdy.” His eyes narrowed. 

“We are gonna have a talk about this later. I mean it.” She paused at the uncharacteristic seriousness on his face, but she gave him a smile all the same. 

“As you wish, dear.” 

His cheeks tinted pink, but then there’s a snort from Nightwing, and Red Robin turns to glare at him. 

“Oh my fucking god, it _is_ an inherited trait.” The tension leaves Red Hood as he snickers, and Red Robin can only sigh. He hates his family; just so much right now. Vixen peers around him, curiously looking at Nightwing. 

“Is this about the Bat’s relationship with my beloved mentor, by chance?” Batman tensed, glaring at her from behind his cowl, but Nightwing laughed. 

“See? Even she knows!” 

A beep rang out, and Marinette cursed. She’d forgotten that using Cataclysm would start her countdown. She stretched onto her toes, leaning up by Red Robin’s ear; she ignored the shiver that went down his back, even if it made something in her curl with satisfaction. 

“I’ll come find you in about 2 hours, birdy. As much as I’d love to meet your family, I think it’s a little early for that, hm?” She winked at him when he turned to look at her, and unwound her arms from his waist and chest as she stepped back. Stepping to the side of him, she smiled at the rest of them. 

“I look forward to working with the rest of you in the future, but it’ll have to be some other time. I have a date to keep, after all.” Her grin was sly as she glanced at Red Robin, before she looked back at them and waved. “Bye bye!” 

She vanished from sight right in front of them, and Robin let loose a birdarang that stuck uselessly in the wall. They all heard the laughter bounce around the building, and then she was gone. 

Batman turned to Red Robin. 

“Explain.” 

Tim sighed. 

  
~~~

  
Once she’d recharged, Marinette found herself sitting on the edge of Wayne Enterprises; as the tallest building in the city, it had the best vantage point. She saw the group of heroes in the distance, and she noticed when one broke off from the crowd. The others continued on until they were out of sight. Content, Vixen let her illusion drop, letting herself be seen. Pulling her staff out, she tapped into his comm line via her communicator. 

Giggling, she smiled, “I seeee youuu~” There was a sigh over the line, and she noticed the one remaining shadow pause as they looked around. She knew he’d seen her when he groaned, and she laughed. 

“I’ll be there in a moment.” 

Ending the call, Vixen placed her staff in the small of her back, the flute clinking against it as she did so. She’d have to talk to the Kwami and see if there was a way to combine them; it was just too cumbersome having them both on her person at a time. She glanced over her shoulder as she heard boots hit the ground, and smiled when she saw Red Robin watching her closely. 

“Hello again, birdy.” 

He hesitated for a moment before he walked over and sat next to her on the edge, about a foot of space between them. It was quiet for a while, and Vixen let him have the time to think; her birdy always liked to gather his thoughts after all. 

“What happened tonight, Vixen?” She shrugged, staring out over the city. 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Red Robin snorted, nodding. 

“Really? Not at all?” 

Vixen sighed, turning to look at him, “Yes, really. I wasn’t going to let you get shot.” He was watching her, and she hated that she couldn’t track his eyes behind his mask. So she looked back out over the city and fell silent for a moment, reflecting. She’d been helping him for nearly three months now, and he clearly hadn’t told his family. Was he ashamed of her help, or was he trying to protect her from the inevitable? Could she trust him; _should_ she? Not sure if it was the kwami’s influence, or her own feelings, she spoke. 

“I used to have a partner you know.” Vixen watched a plane fly overhead, picking out the blinking lights among the few stars seen in the city, anything to distract her from the words leaving her lips. “He was the first boy I ever loved, and my best friend. He shined bright, like the sun in summer, and he loved us, _me_ , so, _SO_ much. Do you know what happened to him?” Red Robin didn’t answer, but she saw him watching out of the corner of her eye. “He died when we were 17, stabbed through the heart and lung. I watched him die in front of me. My only partner, and I couldn't protect him.” Her throat constricted at the thought, and her hands clenched at her sides as she fought to keep her emotions in check. Vixen turned to look at him, a sad smile on her face, “So forgive me if I’m a little overprotective of my new one, ok?” 

Looking at her, Red Robin immediately benched the questions he had about her speed and strength; she looked ready to fall apart at the first sight of a strong wind. With a sigh, he scooted over, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side. She froze for a moment, before steadily relaxing. 

“Sorry, I- Well, it’s been a long time since I had a partner. And being invisible all the time doesn’t exactly help me watch your back, you know.” He felt her flinch, and after a moment, she spoke. 

“I wasn’t sure you wanted me around.” She said quietly, barely a whisper. He snorted, a small grin on his face. 

“You’re frustrating, no doubt about that; but you’re not evil, Vixen. Maybe a little chaotic, sure, but not evil. If my family doubted you, well, after tonight I’d say they shouldn’t. If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have taken that shot to the back, or worse.” Red Robin knocked his knuckles against his chest, a faint knock sounding, “The kevlar would’ve helped, but I still would’ve been out for a little bit.” He looked down at her and grinned, watching her eyes widen a bit and her cheeks flush, “So thanks for watching my back, kitten.” 

Her face exploded into color as she blushed a furious shade of red, and she jumped back like she’d been burned, hopping to her feet and cursing. Red Robin blinked, stunned, before he started laughing. 

“What, you get to have a silly little name for me, but I can’t have one for you? Doesn’t seem fair to me.” When there was no response, Tim pushed himself to his feet and stepped over to her, “Hey-” She yelped, and jumped, turning to look at him. Her face was still red, but she looked so surprised with her eyes wide; it was so unlike every other expression he’d seen from her, even that first night he’d caught her. Vixen was always rather calm when he’d seen her, very self assured and confident in what she was doing; this was new. Tim tried valiantly to ignore the small giddy feeling in his chest; he failed. 

Leaning in, he let himself grin at her, watching as her eyes widened further; but she didn’t move away. 

“Are you ok, kitten? You look a little red there. You shouldn’t be out if you have a fever.” She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her head. 

“You’re totally right, I’ll see you later, birdy! Bye!” Within seconds, she’d drawn her staff and extended it, shooting herself away from him. 

His laughter followed her home that night. 

Once she made it through her window, and let the transformation drop, she collapsed on her bed and screamed into the covers. Plagg and Trixx snickered, sharing a look with Tikki. 

“Her birdy is just as flirty apparently, Sugar Cube.” Plagg said with a grin, and Tikki giggled. 

Marinette groaned in betrayal from her bed. 

She was so screwed. 

  
~~

  
The next month is one of change. Change in her hero work, and change in her civilian life. 

Her and Red Robin have been working together more often, and she no longer stays invisible when they’re on a case. It’s been… nice; even with him now flirting back with her. She’s nearly embarrassed herself several times already. His family is still actively avoiding her when she patrols with him, but Nightwing smiled at her two nights ago, so she thinks she’s making progress.

The building for her cafe has been bought, and is currently being renovated, along with the apartment above it. There were a couple things she was considering, but she just wasn’t sure if she wanted to commit to the ideas. 

She hadn’t actually made any clothes since Selina’s dress; and even then, that had been the first thing she’d made since… Then. Her commissions had been closed since the incident, and all of her finished products had been sent away by her maman. But there’s an extra space behind the cafe, a small area the perfect size for a small boutique… And she misses making clothes. There’s several sketchbooks worth of designs in a box under her bed, and she’s been stockpiling fabric for ages at this point, waiting. She thinks she could do it again now.

As Marinette sits there in what will be her new apartment, thinking, she fiddles with her phone. It’s late for her, which means her friends could be awake. She hesitates over the group chat, watching idly as messages come in. 

**Queenie:** Ok, so Gami, Luka and I are planning our latest trip. Any non lame suggestions, peasants? 😏

Marinette giggled at Chloe’s message; her friend may have become nicer, but she was still such a brat. It always made things interesting. 

**Foxybitch:** uuuhhhhh how about space? 🚀

 **Queenie:** fuck you lol 😂

 **MeetMeinthePIT:** Darling, please don’t antagonize Alya. You know how upset our dear song will get. 

**Sing-a-Long:** Busted, babe. ;)

 **Queenie:** 😢

 **420TurtleBro:** you’re tearing this family apart dudette 

Marinette laughed, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes as she watched them talk. Tapping her thumbs against the side of her phone, she grew thoughtful. Her apartment had three bedrooms and two full baths. One room was hers, the other her work room, and the last… 

She smiled. 

That could be the guest room. 

She started typing. 

**Buginette:** You could come stay with me if you want. 

She grew anxious when no one said anything, but jumped a mile when her phone began to ring. She answered it quickly, surprised when it opened up into a group video call. Chloe, Kagami, and Luka were all crammed into one frame, and all three were crying; and on the side, in the other frame, she saw Alya and Nino. Nino was smiling big and broad through his tears, but Alya was sobbing. 

“You’re back!” 

Marinette frowned, nodding. 

“I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long you guys. I… I meant to contact you sooner, I just-” Chloe shook her head. 

“You shut up right now, Dupain-Cheng, I won’t hear it! You did what you needed for yourself, don’t you dare apologize!” The blonde girl whimpered, and covered her eyes, “Fuck you, I’m glad you’re back.” Kagami wrapped her girlfriend in a hug, and Luka smiled at her. 

Marinette chuckled, “That’s not my name anymore, Chloe. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that either.” Luka shook his head. 

“We’re just glad to see you, Ma-Ma-Marinette.” He said. Marinette giggled as she felt her eyes well up, and she nodded. Looking at Nino and Alya, her smile grew. 

“I miss you so much, Alya, Nino.” Nino nodded, rubbing at his eyes while Alya shook her head, trying to get her tears to stop. 

“Us too, dudette. Where are you?” 

Marinette chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. 

“I’m uh, actually in Gotham, New Jersey; in America.” 

“WHAT?!” Alya’s screech pitched the speakers of her phone, and Marinette winced. Even Kagami was looking at her concern. 

“That is a very dangerous city, Marinette. Have you been ok?” Marinette nodded.

“I’ve been going to therapy for the last two years nearly. I’m uh, going to be opening a cafe in about a month, and there’s an apartment above it, so that’s where I’ll be living once renovations are done.” Chloe frowned. 

“Wait, so where have you been staying, bug?” She asked, and Marinette hesitated. 

“Ok, you can’t freak out.” Alya immediately scowled at her, and Marinette sighed, “Catwoman found me during a breakdown when I got here. It… wasn’t pretty,” She frowned, “And she brought me back to her flat, and so I’ve been staying with the Gotham Sirens until now.” 

Nino started laughing, while Luka just shook his head with a smile on his face; Kagami looked confused, while Chloe and Alya were freaking out, though in vastly different ways. 

“Oh my god, girl! That’s so badass!” Alya grinned, “Congrats!” 

“What are you talking about?! That is _so_ dangerous! What were you thinking, Mari!” Chloe huffed, clearly worried. Marinette shrugged, playing with a stray string on her work pants. 

“They’ve helped me a lot, actually. Harley’s my therapist, and she’s been so good to me. I wouldn’t be nearly as well off as I am without her. Her wife, Pamela, is just amazing; she’s taught me a lot since I started staying with them. And Selina’s pretty much mom number two at this point, with my maman still being first.” Marinette paused, “How is Sabine?” 

Alya smiled, “She’s doing well. Her and Tom miss you a lot.” Marinette’s smile grew a bit. 

“Will you tell them I miss them too, please? I don’t want to risk calling her yet.” Alya nodded, but she frowned. 

“ _She’s_ still looking for you, huh?” Nodding, Marinette sighed. 

“According to the chatter I’ve been picking up, she thinks I’m currently on the west coast, somewhere in California.” She shrugged, “As long as I don’t have my earrings on, it’s harder for her to find me.” Chloe arched a brow. 

“And why is that, exactly?” She asked. 

“One of Tikki’s previous holders is my grandmother; she used the miraculous to help create my mother, so she has an easier time sensing Tikki.” She fiddled with Plagg’s ring out of sight of the camera on her phone, “So will you come stay? I should have the place ready by next month, so if you can’t, I understand-” 

“Are you kidding!? _Of_ course we’re coming!” Chloe yelled, and even Nino and Alya nodded. 

“I’ve actually got to go to Metropolis for work reasons next month, so this is perfect!” Alya said with a grin, and Nino nodded. 

“I could use a break for a while myself.” He said. Marinette smiled, and nodded. 

“Ok, I’ll make sure to plan for all of you then.” Her eyes grew watery, but her smile grew, “I missed you all so much. Do you want to see the place?” 

A chorus of ‘yes’ answered her, and Marinette laughed, rubbing at her eyes before she acquiesced, and turned the camera. She walked around, telling them what she was planning on doing with each space, and Alya cooed over the cafe area. All too soon, Marinette had to say goodbye to her friends; it was late for her after all. Chloe, Kagami, and Luka had to sign off first, the three of them having scheduled a date for their day. Marinette smiles at Alya as Nino walks away, giving them a little bit of privacy. Alya softens as she looks at her best friend, her smile small.

“I’ll see you soon Nette?” Marinette nods, willing herself not to cry anymore, and her smile grows.

“Absolutely.” 

The call ends, and her future home echoes with silence. With a sigh, she calls for Plagg and Trixx; the two kwami had been sleeping with her raincoat, stashed in the pocket for warmth. Plagg grinned at her while Trixx yawned.

“Ready to head home, cupcake?” 

Marinette nodded, stretching her arms over her head. 

“Yeah, let’s head out before the rain starts back up. Plagg, Claws out! Trixx, merge!” 

It’s much later than she thought it was; or should she say early? The 1:37 AM blinks at her lazily from the screen on her staff, and she exits out one of the windows before making her way over the rooftops. It’s been rather quiet since the scuffle at the warehouse last month, and Marinette’s not sure she likes it; she’s come to expect certain things from Gotham. Generally, when the pattern changes, something big is coming. 

She hears him before she sees him, the shots ringing out through the wet streets. Changing direction and sprinting across the roof, she uses her staff to launch herself to the next building before hopping down into the alley. Her illusion held true, and not a single one of these weird, owl looking thugs heard her landing. Red Hood is backed into the end of the alley, cradling his left arm; Vixen realizes belatedly this is the first time she’s seen him without that hideous helmet he wears. His mask is similar to Robin’s, black, and hiding his eyes; but the white streak in his hair is rather identifying. It’s rather easy to tell he’s not going to be getting out of this without help, and if it’s one thing she’s noticed about Red Hood, it’s that he has a hard time relying on his family.

Vixen passes by the owl men and places herself in front of Red Hood. He may have considered shooting her, but this is her birdy’s brother, and she’s not going to let some strange, owl obsessed furries hurt him further. She waits, watching them closely. Some of these men have swords strapped to their backs, but their masks are the most unsettling part about them.

When the first one moves, slashing out with the talons on his hand, she bats him away with a deft smack of her staff, sending him into one of his companions as he’s knocked unconscious. The other’s pause, and behind her, Vixen hears Red Hood suck in a shocked breath. The owl men are looking around, and subtly shifting their stances. Watching their heads tilt in consideration is as unnerving as the rest of their appearance.

“Switch to thermal.” One says, and Vixen frowns at the monotony in their voice; that’s certainly not natural. 

“Thermal is not working.” 

She snorts, because _of_ course it isn’t, idiots. Spinning her staff around her neck, she lets it slide down into her palm before she spins it out, smacking the presumed leader in the face. He stumbles back silently, falling into one of the other assailants. Before anyone can do anything, she retracts the staff into its baton form, and lifts it to her lips. The tune she plays is elegant, and sophisticated, and the illusion is crafted to perfection. All the owl men can see is her swinging down, grabbing Red Hood, and escaping; they pursue with haste, leaving her and Red Hood in the alley. 

“Well, I’ll be damned… Thanks for the save, sweetheart.” She turns, surprised to find Red Hood staring at her, and she realizes her cloaking illusion has dissipated. Giving him a smile, she nods at his arm. 

“You’re welcome, Hood. May I see your arm, please? I think I can help.” He watches her for a minute, and in the quiet of the alley, she can hear the shouting coming from his comm piece; after some deliberation, and willful ignorance of what his companions are saying, Red Hood holds out his left arm to her. The leather of his jacket is shredded and bloodied, and the skin beneath is in terrible shape. She’s fairly certain his arm is broken in at least three places. Vixen sighs and places her hands on his arm. 

“You’re going to feel a little tired in a moment, but please bear with it. When this is over, you should only have some light scarring.” He’s watching her with a critical eye, and he flinches when her hands begin to glow green. 

“So you are a meta.” He says, and Marinette hesitates as she lets her magic weave delicately through the bones and vessels in his arm; healing this way is a fragile process. 

“Yes and no,” She hums, “I _am_ a meta, but this is not part of my powers. This was taught to me by my master several years ago.” Red Hood watched as his skin started to stitch itself back together, and he blinked away the sudden exhaustion behind his eyes. The dulling of his senses distracted him enough that he barely registered the sound of his bones snapping back into place.

“Your master?” She nodded, and Hood realized just how short she was; she couldn’t have been more than 5’3 at the most. 

“Yes. He was a good man. A bit naive, but nonetheless good.” He leaned back heavily into the wall, and she had to step forward to continue the healing. He yawned, blinking a bit more rapidly now. 

“So was that strength and stuff your powers? Cause like, that was pretty cool, won’t lie.” Vixen snorted, trying not to laugh, but she nodded. 

“Yes, those were some of my meta powers. I don’t usually use them.” He was so tired now, his head leaned back against the stone. Red Hood’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. 

“Why’re you answering my questions? I was gonna shoot you the last time I saw you.” 

Vixen shrugged and leaned back as she finished the healing, giving him a grin. 

“Well, there’s a couple different reasons. One, you are Red Robin’s older brother, and I trust who he does, which means I’d say I can trust you. And second…” She trailed off, her smile forming into a smug smirk, “it’s been a while since I gave my birdy any bread crumbs, and I fear he’s beginning to starve. After all, he’s been listening through your ear piece this whole time.” She winked at him, “Be careful though, he gets a little jealous.” 

A moment later, a very loud “I DO _NOT_!” echoed from the comm in Red Hood’s ear, and he winced. Vixen simply laughed, stepping back, and over to the unconscious owl man; after snapping some handcuffs around his wrist, she withdrew her staff and leaned against it.

“I will send Red Robin your coordinates. In the meantime, my illusion will keep you concealed in case those strange owl men come back.” Red Hood could only nod in response, watching as she waved; then her staff extended, and she disappeared over the top of the building, and was gone. With a groan, Jason propped himself up against the wall better as he slid to the ground. 

“Red, you’ve gotta find that girl and marry her, wow.” Jason said into the comm, chuckling a bit as he heard Tim start to splutter, “Oh, shut up, I see the way you look for her on patrol.” It was silent for a moment before Tim sighed. 

“Don’t tell the others ok?” Jason just smiled. 

“You got it, replacement.”

Tim’s responding groan made it worth it. 

  
~~

  
That same night, Red Hood slipped Red Robin the recording he’d managed to get before Talon had ambushed him. Jason hadn’t really cared about his reasons, but it seemed the rest of his family was also rather suspect of Marinette. So, Red Hood had staked out her new apartment, recording audio but no visual. Only problem was that Talon had dropped in right as she went to show her friends around her new home, and he hadn’t had the chance to return. If it hadn’t been for Vixen’s rather sudden (and suspect) appearance, Tim was willing to bet his brother would’ve been dead; again. 

Fiddling idly with the pen in his hands, Tim stared at the document in front of him. What Jason had gotten him was good; it gave him more of a trail. 

Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Appeared in Gotham suddenly, no record of flights or passport; all things considered, she was in the city illegally, not that he particularly cared. Aged 19, turning 20 the following year. Adopted by Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain; no record of her birth parents. Glancing at his coffee mug, Tim was relieved to find he hadn’t drank all of it yet, and chugged it greedily. The clock on his desktop read 4:43 AM, and he sighed. His eyes fell to half mast as he continued to scan the document his program had compiled.   
Why had she changed her name? And why to Fu? Was she running from something, and if so, what? Why wouldn’t she get help? 

‘Well, I guess Harley counts as help,’ He thought, as he recalled her telling her friends about her therapy. 

He paused in his scrolling suddenly, choking on his coffee, and doing a double take as he came across a picture of her with many of her friends. 

_‘Marinette Dupain-Cheng, pictured with Alya Cesaire (Rena Rouge), Nino Lahiffe (Carapace), Adrien Agreste (Chat Noir), Chloe Bourgeois (Hornet), Tsurugi Kagami (Ryuuko), and Luka Couffaine (Viperion).’_

She knew the Parisian heroes. 

Tim pushed back from his desk, staring at the picture and the faces. He’d reviewed the footage himself, back when it had initially aired, and for months afterwards. The only reason they’d been able to put proper names to the heroes was due to them revealing themselves, and then equating Chat to Adrien in the press afterwards.

But no one knew who Ladybug was- 

With a sharp inhale, Tim leaned back in his chair and dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. 

“Fuck, don’t tell me…” With a groan, he sat up and scooted back over to his desk, his socks slipping slightly on the hardwood floor. As if on autopilot, he accessed the archives at the manor, and pulled up the broadcast, and he skipped to the end. 

**“You know I love you right, _Nette_?”** Tim’s eyes narrow, and he sees Ladybug’s eyes go wide behind her mask, before then she’s crying again. Alya reaches up, and removes the necklace, the magic falling away from her. The camera continues to roll. She hands over the jewelry.

After a moment, Tim watches as Ladybug finally nods, a pained look on her face. 

**“I know, Alya. I love you too.”**

And then Ladybug is turning, a portal opening up in front of her. 

**“I’ll… see you guys sometime.”**

Tim watches as she steps through, disappearing without a trace, and he stops the video before it ends. 

  
He’s wrong; he has to be. Marinette cannot be both Vixen and Ladybug. And if she’s Ladybug, that would mean she was-

Tim goes cold as he realizes whose daughter he’s been working with. 

It falls into place easily, like a key in a lock. 

Vixen told him her partner had died; Chat Noir was Ladybug’s partner, and he’d died fighting Hawkmoth before the final confrontation. 

She’d admitted to having meta powers to Jason; and Ladybug was Wonder Woman’s daughter, she’d have the strength to do what she did in that warehouse. 

The black suit she wears is very close to what he can find of Chat Noir’s outfit; and the thought shakes him out of his spiral, and he frowns. 

His eyes land on the picture of her with her friends again, and he notices how the two hang on to each other, arms wrapped around each other and big grins on their faces; they’re young, probably only about 15 when it was taken. They'd only been kids. He leans back in his chair again, and stares at the ceiling. 

She’d trusted him with the information about her partner because of how important he’d been to her. He had no business exposing her like this, he decided. If he found real proof, real evidence, he’d admit to her about having his suspicions regarding her identity, tell her he knew who she really was. 

Tim sits up, and with a few clicks, he deletes the audio he got from Red Hood, and erases the document he’d compiled on Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

She deserved better from him. 

  
Across the city, Marinette slept. 

Her sleeps had been mostly dreamless since the final fight, but tonight, she found herself in some kind of strange, white dreamscape. Looking around, she found herself walking, nothing in particular standing out to her; she caught a glimpse of a person every once in a while in the haze, but nothing else. 

Until she saw him. 

He looked like he always had, blonde hair tousled just how he preferred it, and that same little smile on his face he got whenever he looked at her. Marinette wasn’t sure when she started crying, but the tears rolled down her cheeks regardless. 

Adrien’s smile softened. 

“Hey there, bugaboo.” 

Marinette woke up screaming. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooo yeah, remember when I said the miraculous stores souls when you die wearing them?? So that they can help out whoever comes next? yeeeaaahhhhh get ready for the incoming angst with that lol sorry for the slight cliffhanger since I update like super slow, but hey at leats it was nearly a 10k chapter! :D 
> 
> Also, ChloGamiLuka accidentally happened and I'm just like

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Multi-Hero](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24414241) by [Sar61_Sanz6](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sar61_Sanz6/pseuds/Sar61_Sanz6)




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